Airfield Paint Removal (95%) Specifications

Airfield Paint Removal (95%) Specifications

Runway Surface Renewal

PART 1 – GENERAL

1.01 SCOPE

Description of Work: The work consists of providing all labor, material and equipment necessary to remove 95% of the paint buildup from asphalt and concrete runway surfaces without damage to the pavement surface using high-pressure water jets. The pavement surfaces may be smooth or grooved.

The work is defined as square unit of removal.

1.02 SUBMITTALS

A. At the time of bid submittal:

References, including name, address and telephone number from at least five airfields for whom the company has performed paint removal with satisfactory results.

A description of the types and quantity of equipment the contractor proposes to use for this project.

Qualification statement of the contractor stating the length of time the company has been performing paint removal at airfields.

B. After award of contract:

Contractor’s safety program

Method of disposal of paint chips, debris and water.

PART 2 – MATERIALS

Water shall be potable water obtained from a fire hydrant, municipal source or well. Lake or river water will not be allowed.

The use of chemicals, abrasive materials, grinders, detergents or salt water will not be allowed.

PART 3 – EQUIPMENT

The equipment used for the paint removal shall be a self-contained vehicle licensed to travel on the public roadway and capable of traveling at highway speeds. The vehicle shall contain an ultra-high pressure (UHP) water pump and water tank. The vehicle shall have a hydrostatic drive, independent of the truck transmission, capable of infinitely varying the forward speed of the truck during paint removal from 0 to 7 mph.

The vehicle shall have a self-contained vacuum system capable of collecting the paint, water and other debris from the airfield during the paint removal.

The paint removal vehicle shall have a multi-jet spray head. The spray head shall be 24 inches wide and contain a minimum of 28 nozzles.

The vehicle shall be capable of removing a minimum of 1,000 square feet per hour.

The vehicle shall be capable of carrying sufficient water to operate continuously for a minimum of four hours.

The vehicle shall have sufficient lighting to allow work to be performed at night.

PART 4 – EXECUTION

A. General

The work shall be performed at the locations designated on the plans or as directed by the engineer.

Remove 95% of the paint deposits using ultra-high pressure water jets without damaging the pavement surface.

Do not perform work unless the temperature is a minimum of 40º F and rising and the pavement temperature is a minimum of 35º F and rising.

Paint removal may be performed during inclement weather provided the water, paint and debris is contained by the vacuum system.

Remove 95% of the paint from all designated surfaces.

Water collected by the vacuum system shall be separated from the paint chips and other debris and discharged to a location designated by the engineer or placed on the ground at a location designated by the engineer and allowed to evaporate or be absorbed in to the ground. Water shall not be allowed to run in to any lake, river or stream. Paint chips and debris collected by the vacuum system shall be properly disposed in an approved landfill.

Any damage to the pavement surface caused by the contractor’s operation shall be repaired at the contractor’s expense. Prior to performing the repair, the engineer shall approve repair methods and procedures.

PART 5 – QUALITY CONTROL

A. Test Area

Prior to the start of the work the Contractor shall perform a test removal at a location designated by the engineer of a minimum of 100 square feet to demonstrate the quality of the paint removal. The UHP shall be set at their operating pressure and flow rate and the forward speed of the vehicle adjusted to remove 95% of the paint deposits.

The test area shall include joints, joint sealing material, lights and other items that may be damaged during paint removal. Following the test removal the engineer shall inspect the removal area to determine if any damage has occurred. The engineer shall determine if the results are acceptable and may at his sole discretion terminate the work if damage has occurred.

B. Visual Inspection

The engineer shall determine by visual inspection if 95% of the paint deposits have been removed. Visual inspection shall include a close inspection of the pavement surface to determine if the water jet has contacted a minimum of 95% of the surface and removed the paint from that surface. Areas without paint removal exceeding .25 square inch will not be acceptable.

C. The engineer may elect to use the AFCES “Compliance Testing” as follows:

Compliance with the 95 percent removal from 100% of the area shall be determined by direct testing within the designated work area.

A 0.1 square meter (approximately one square foot) section of transparent material inscribed with a grid of 100 equal squares shall be used as a tool for quantitative measure of the 95 percent removal. Place the grid pattern on the pavement surface at random locations. Then count the squares, which contain paint deposits. The number of squares containing paint deposits shall not exceed 5 in each of the randomly selected locations.

Each work area designated for paint removal shall be divided into at least four equal zones for the purpose of compliance testing. Within each zone, a minimum of seven random locations shall be evaluated. At least 95 percent of the randomly selected areas within each zone must meet the requirement described in paragraph 2. Each zone shall be evaluated independently. A zone not meeting the 95 percent removal requirement shall be recleaned by the Contractor at the Contractor’s expense.

Deposits of paint or paint buildup are defined as any surface deposit that can be removed by scratching the deposit with a flat sharp object (such as a pocket knife) without damaging the pavement surface. Stains are defined as materials in the pavement surface microtexture that cannot be removed without damaging the pavement surface. Stain is generally embedded in the surface of the pavement below the horizontal plane of the surface texture. The Contractor is not responsible for stain removal.

PART 6 – METHOD OF PAYMENT

A. Measurement

The unit of measurement shall be a square unit of paint removed and accepted by the engineer.